1. Field of the Invention
In general this invention relates to a gutter system for collecting rain water. More particularly it relates to a rain gutter system for mounting under a roof edge for receiving water run off in preference to leaves and other debris.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The need to collect run off rain water from roofs while resisting entrance of leaves and other roof debris into the collection system is long recognized, as evidenced by the many patented inventions directed to this task.
One early invention U.S. Pat. No. 603,611, issued to B. F. Nye on May 3, 1898 teaches a sheet metal reverse "S" curve with its top located under the roof overhang flush with the underside of the overhang, and with the "S" curve's bottom turned up short of the top portion's curve, where the top portion's curve is nailed to a molding that extends out far enough to keep the top portions curve forward of the turned up bottom's edge.
The water leaves the roof and flows down over the curved wall by gravity and "capallary action", on into the gutter; while leaves, sticks and debris from the roof are carried to the edge of the top portion's curve, where they then drop from the forward jutting edge due to gravity, missing the gutter.
The Nye trough uses "gentle" curves throughout, because a sudden change in the surface would break the water's adherance to the sheet metal surface. The top of the "S" curve is mounted close under the roof edge, presenting a steep grade to the water flow as it leaves the roof edge. This can impart an angular velocity force to the water that overcomes its adhesion to the sheet metal, resulting in its ejection over and beyond the gutter edge or bottom curve's up turned forward edge.
Jefferys', U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,925, teaches a shield which extends beyond the forward edge of a trough, separately mounted below, as Nye's top curve extends beyond his gutter's forward edge, below.
Jeffery's shield, however, includes its own up turned gutter, short of, and below the upper curve's forward edge, which interlocks with a flange on the trough's front lip. This gutter which, in combination with the shield top, overseals the trough, includes parallel slits which are transverse to the gutter's length.
Water which travels down and under the front edge of the shield, enters the trough through the slits. Leaves and debris are said to fall off at the shield edge, and leaves and dust normally blown into a trough from other directions are stopped by the slitted strainer.
G. A. Bartholomew in U.S. Pat. No. 2,669,950 teaches a structure similar to Nye, and includes a plurality of laterally spaced projections which may be bumps or transverse ridges below the forward curve of the shield, directed downward to help strip the leaves from the surface before they reach the recessed gutter.
In Goetz, U.S. Pat. No. 2,672,832 the shield and trough are separately mounted. The back of the trough has a lip higher than the front lip, the back lip including a groove at its top for supporting the shield back by a mating channel. The back of the shield is located under the roof overhang, its forward extending curve being supported by nails and spaced from the structure wall by threaded sections located on spikes having forward shoulders to fix the distance of the threaded portions from the wall.
The trough is mounted to the wall by similar threaded spikes, which also help to support the shield by receiving its inwardly directed portion across their sides.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,146, Demartini discloses a partial top section as in the top section of Nye's device, as a deflector cover for existing troughs, wherein the cover attaches to the top surface of a roof, and mounts over an existing trough, with its front edge being above and extending beyhond the trough's front edge. The partial top section includes the upper forward jutting curve and the inwardly directed surface below it, and adds a transverse strap, sheet metal screwed or otherwise fastened to its bottom surface. The strap extends to the existing of the inwardly directed portion, and attaches to the existing trough's front edge, or alternatively to the trough's support means.
Demartini's earlier patent, for a rain gutter device, U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,775 teaches separate shield and trough, with the shield attached on the top of the roof and having transverse ridges on the surface over the roof, to spread out and slow the water flow so that it will not attain angular acceleration forces which exceed the "surface tension" force holding the water to the forward extending curve so that it can follow the curve back far enough to fall behind the troughs recessed front edge.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,110, R. J. Carey provides a trapezoidal form in which the shield front folds down inwardly, forming a top and the front face of a closed-in trough that is mounted under the overhang. The front face of the trough has longitudinal slots formed by inwardly and downwardly extending flaps punched into the sheet material. Water runs over the shield's forward jutting curve and back into the trough, while the slots screen out leaves and debris.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,588 awarded to G. R. Duffy closes the opening between the shield's forward protruding curve and trough's recessed front edge below, with wire mesh screening, instead of slots, to strain the leaves and debris from the water. As in Carey, the screen angles inward toward the trough front edge, thereby avoiding the upwardly facing collecting configuration of other screens. His shield is attached on the roof top and his trough is hung from suspension straps.
Although the earlier rain gutter devices will separate water from leaves and debris to greater or lesser extent, they are either in part or combination, complicated and costly to manufacture, difficult to inspect and clean. They require dual component, or dual fastener installation or modification to the structure to receive the device, or fastener holes in the top of the roof.